Allen savours winning start
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CPL T20/SmartFrame From left: Antigua and Barbuda Falcons captain Fabian Allen, Alzarri Joseph, and Jayden Seals celebrate during their nail-biting two-wicket over Jamaica Kingsmen in the opening match of the Caribbean Premier League at Arnos Vale in St Vincent on Friday.
After a nail-biting two-wicket win over the Jamaica Kingsmen in the opening match of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Friday, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons captain Fabian Allen said playing against his hometown team was a great feeling and praised his side’s execution.
“I want to give God thanks for the win. Opening with a victory is a great feeling, especially being the leader of the team; it means a lot to me, and also the victory means a lot to my teammates. Playing against my hometown team is a great feeling because I got a chance to play with some great players,” said Allen.
“Playing against Jamaica didn’t add any extra pressure on me as a professional cricketer. I’m always motivated and always staying positive. It was a good chase in T20 cricket. The game could have gone either way, but the boys held their ground and executed, and we came out with a victory,” added Allen.
Asked when during the chase the Falcons believed they could win the game, Allen said the mindset is always to win.
“As a captain and a professional player heading into any game, that’s the only mindset, and that is to win the match,” he added.
“Personally, I think my team did a phenomenal job, executing in their given areas and roles that were assigned for them to play,” he added.
According to Allen, there is still room for improvement ahead of the team’s next match.
“As a team, we have had a discussion about areas that we fell short in and work together to improve in those areas for the next upcoming game on Sunday,” said Allen.
“This victory means a lot to me, but most importantly, I am happy for the victory for my teammates. The boys work hard, and they deserve it,” added Allen.
Meanwhile, Jamaica captain Rovman Powell felt his team were five to 10 runs short, noting that a total closer to 175 would have been enough to win the match.
Powell scored 47 from 37 balls.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons will face St Lucia Kings in their second match today at Arnos Vale in St Vincent at 7 p.m.
Jamaica Kingsmen will seek their first victory against Barbados Royals on Tuesday at Sabina Park in Kingston.